website ethics

[John Arnold]

I discovered my business name in the "keywords" list on a competitor's website. I'm not a website whiz, but I think this means that someone searching for my website might actually discover my competitor's instead.
Is this unethical? Illegal (I doubt it)? Normal?

[Ted Menelly]

Why would it not be illegal????

No matter how you want to look at it the keywords are advertising to the spiders. To be benefiting off of your good name with out your permission to advertise your name ????? to get him business is wrong.


Someone else had a thread like this recently.

I would call your competitor and politely ask him to remove your name from his website (source code) same thing.

You can do it differently with reciprocal links but that is silly if he is your competition in the same work area.

[Scott Patterson]

Heck, post his website address and let everyone take a shot! This could be some cheap entertainment! :D

[John Arnold]

Heck, post his website address and let everyone take a shot! This could be some cheap entertainment! :D

I'm thinking about it. In the meantime I've notified a couple of friends whose business names are also on the keyword list.

By the way, the reason I stumbled across this is because someone on this board suggested the book Search Engine Optimization for Dummies, which I bought, and which suggests looking at competitor's websites for keyword ideas.

[Raymond Wand]

Don't feel bad, I have noticed a couple of inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites.


The value of experience is not in seeing much,
but in seeing wisely.

- Sir William Osler 1905

[Ted Menelly]

Don't feel bad, I have noticed a couple of inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites.


The value of experience is not in seeing much,
but in seeing wisely.

- Sir William Osler 1905






Thanks, I'll start using that tomorrow :) After all, what are fellow inspectors for.

[John Arnold]

I've since discovered that the website keyword list is different depending on which browser is used. I don't understand that at all, but then I'm no internet/computer expert neither.
When using Internet Explorer, there are fewer business names in the keyword list than when using FireFox. Mine doesn't appear on IE. Strange.

[Victor DaGraca]

John;
What is your business name? is it common usage wording? If so, you don't have copyright.
Just like Raymond thinks that his quote "inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites."

Is, in reality, not his at all. Just ask William Osler.

[John Arnold]

John;
What is your business name? is it common usage wording? If so, you don't have copyright.
Just like Raymond thinks that his quote "inspectors have taken my long used quote and put it on their websites."

Is, in reality, not his at all. Just ask William Osler.

Victor - I put a lot of thought into my business name, so don't laugh. It's "Arnold Home Inspections". Hey - it starts with an "A"!

Anyway, there are about half a dozen inspection company's names in this guy's keyword list, including some national franchises, such as House Master. Anyway, I'm not claiming copyright. I'm claiming it's sleazy and unethical.

[Victor DaGraca]

Gotcha...
So, this guys thinking was:
If someone does a google search for Arnold HI or HouseMaster or ABC HI or... whatever, his website will come up in the search because those names are in his "keyword" line.

Ok .. I agree... not ethical. However ....

How many people are actually going to google search for a HI using the company name?
Generally they'll do a search using something like "home inspections in philladelphia"

He really didn't think it through and wasted valuable keyword space.

He might also have gone on the premise that "it is easier to ask for forgiveness that permission"
If you contact him, he'll probably take it off of there.

There are a couple of web sites that I'd love to hack into and have a "go" at 'em.

[Raymond Wand]

Its too bad many inspectors don't have any originality and have to lift material, but when you look at their websites they are also offering the Moon. :rolleyes: Why be original when its easier to copy someone elses work whether copyrighted or not? :(

[Richard Moore]

Just playing Devil's advocate a bit John, but is it possible that he's just adverstising the fact that he does home inspections in Arnold, PA?

[Jerry Peck]

Its too bad many inspectors don't have any originality and have to lift material,

Hey! *I* "lifted" a lot of material from someone's website because I respect him and liked his web site. :D

I started with that "lifted" material and format, change the material to fit me instead of him and his material, then changed the format a little bit (I changed the format even more, but did not like it, so I went back to the basic original format with my changes).

Imitation *IS* the sincerest form of flattery. :)

[Victor DaGraca]

Ya gotta file off those serial numbers though......:D

[Raymond Wand]

Well we all know where standardized templates for websites can be found....:p ;)Membership has its privileges alright! :D....or experience is not in seeing much but in having an original website - William Osler. :D :eek:

[Jerry Peck]

Ya gotta file off those serial numbers though......:D

Of course! :)

I removed all traces of the original person so as to not tie him to my inferior website. :D

[John Arnold]

Just playing Devil's advocate a bit John, but is it possible that he's just adverstising the fact that he does home inspections in Arnold, PA?

Richard - Nice try, but Arnold, PA is way out by Pittsburgh, many hours from here and even further from NJ which is where the offending guy lives.

If you do a google search on "philadelphia home inspection", the guy has just about every company that appears on the first results page on his keyword list.

[Nick Ostrowski]

John, does this leach by any chance have my company name in his keyword list?

[John Arnold]

John, does this leach by any chance have my company name in his keyword list?

Nick - Check your email and call me if you don't see anything.

[David Banks]

John, does this leach by any chance have my company name in his keyword list?

He would never screw with Batman :)

[Nick Ostrowski]

I'm on his keyword list and I'm pissed! What a %#$&in' leach!!! It's obvious this guy doesn't know how to go about getting his website going the right way so he's taking ethical shortcuts. I was going to wait to call him until tomorrow but I'm calling him now.

I have no problem posting up this blood sucker's site (http://inspectionsbysafehaven.com/Home.htm).

[John Arnold]

I have no problem posting up this blood sucker's site (http://inspectionsbysafehaven.com/Home.htm).

Got the parenthesis too close to the url, methinks.

Safe Haven Home Inspections LLC (http://inspectionsbysafehaven.com/Home.htm)

[Richard Moore]

Richard - Nice try, but Arnold, PA is way out by Pittsburgh, many hours from here and even further from NJ which is where the offending guy lives.

If you do a google search on "philadelphia home inspection", the guy has just about every company that appears on the first results page on his keyword list.
Sorry, my PA geography isn't very good. Now that I've seen the list...well, definitely on the "sleazy" side.

Here's the list for anyone interested...


<meta name="keywords" content="accuracy inspections, arnold home inspections, Fidelity Home Inspectors, home inspection, home inspection new jersey, home inspection philadelphia, House Check, House Master, Inspectorocity inspectors, new jersey, nj home inspection, pa home inspection, Pennsylvania Home Inspection Companies, philadelphia, Philadelphia Home Inspect, philly hoime inspection, prudential fox and roach, safe and sound inspection, safe haven , safe haven home inspection, SHANER, Shaner Home Inspections, sherlock homes inspection, Strong Foundations Home Inspections - PA Home Inspection ..., target home inspection, us inspect, value guard, value home inspections" />


I see at least a couple of franchises in that list. Housemaster, for instance, is a registered trademark. I don't know what the actual laws are in this situation but I doubt their lawyers would be happy about it.

Also..."prudential fox and roach" is a real estate brokerage! That's odd, to put it nicely!

Sounds like Nick might have torn the guy a new anal orifice by now???

[Erby Crofutt]

The guy is not the only one around doing this.

Found one with my company name in his keywords.

Home | 1-877-INSPECT - Kentucky Licensed Home Inspectors (http://www.inspectky.com)

<meta name="keywords" content="ashland,b4uclose,berea,building,carlisle,central kentucky,certified,commercial property assessments,cynthiana,danville,flemingsburg,frankf ort,georgetown,guaranteed,harrodsburg,home inspections,home inspector,house,inspection,kentucky certified environmental inspector ** http://www.inspectorusa.com,ky,lawrenceburg,lexington,lou isville,maysville,mold,morehead,mt. sterling,nicholasville,northern kentucky,paris,phase i environmental,pruitt,real estate,richmond,termite,usda" />


Wonder how many others are pulling this crap?

[Nick Ostrowski]

I called him last night and left a message. His voice mail message doesn't even state that you've reached Safe Haven Home Inspections. It just says we're not here, leave a message. You'd never even know if you actually called a home inspection company. I e-mailed him too.

I'm checking his site every day and calling him every day until my company name no longer appears.

[Nick Ostrowski]

I just tried checking the site and it comes up as being temporarily unavailable.

[Jerry Peck]

I just tried checking the site and it comes up as being temporarily unavailable.

Nick, Erby,

That leads to something I was going to suggest earlier: go to ( WHOIS Search provides domain registration information from Network Solutions (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp) ) and look up his contacts:

Registrant:Make this info private (http://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/private.jsp) Green, David 4223 Old Sand Rd. Owingsville, KY 40360 US
Domain Name: INSPECTKY.COM
Promote your business to millions of viewers for only $1 a month!
Learn how you can get an Enhanced Business Listing here for your domain name.
Learn More (http://www.networksolutions.com/enhanced-business-listing/index.jsp)
Administrative Contact , Technical Contact : Green, David iusa@bellsouth.net 4223 Old Sand Rd. Owingsville, KY 40360 US Phone: 859 420-4872 Fax: 800-886-8022
Record expires on 23-Dec-2008 Renew this domain (http://www.networksolutions.com/manage-it/renewal-center.jsp)
Record created on 23-Dec-2005
Database last updated on 17-Dec-2007
Domain servers in listed order:Manage DNS (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/whois-dns-login.jsp?domainName=inspectky.com)
(for some reason the domain servers did not copy and paste over here)


Current Registrar:NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
IP Address:209.210.239.14 (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/arin-details.jsp?domainTitle=inspectky.com&ip=209.210.239.14) (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location:US(UNITED STATES)-ILLINOIS-MUNDELEIN
Record Type:Domain Name
Server Type:Apache
Lock Status:clientTransferProhibited
Web Site Status:Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings (http://search.yahoo.com/search/dir?p=INSPECTKY.COM)
Secure:No
E-commerce:No
Traffic Ranking:1
Data as of:14-Jun-2005

Then contact the domain servers and the registrar, in this case Network Solutions (1-800-333-7680) and tell them what is going on.

[John Arnold]

...<meta name="keywords" content="Jerry Peck, ashland,b4uclose,berea,Jerry Peck, building,carlisle,central kentucky,certified Jerry Peck, certified,commercial property assessments, commercial Jerry Peck... />

Erby, When I look at that one I see some other names...

[Erby Crofutt]

Oh, I know who he is. He's on the state's Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors.

Unfortunately, his e-mail is down right now:

Recipient: <iusa@bellsouth.net>
Reason: [SUSPEND] Mailbox currently suspended - Please contact correspondent directly

My guess is that he doesn't even know about it. It's my understanding that he hired someone to develop his site for him. That's most likely where the sleaze comes in.

[Nick Ostrowski]

Well this guy's website is back on-line and nothing has changed in his keyword list. I called House Master first to let them know somebody was using their name. Next I called the inspection company and gave the inspector/owner an earful of crap when I got him on the phone. He said he would get the site changed after he speaks with his webpage guy this week. We'll see about that.

House Master may be the next company calling him and I think they should be able to light a fire under his @$$ if my call to him didn't.

[Rick Bunzel]

John and Nick,

Google has 65&#37; of the search traffic and they no longer put much weight on keywords so don't spend too much time worrying about this guy. If the content does not support the key words they are largely discarded. If the guy had any web smarts he would figure out the words that a client would use to find a South Jersey inspector.

As you know West Berlin is a hike from central Phila and why he would cross the bridge for an inspection defies logic. If he is crossing the bridge get some Guidos to kneecap him.

Now head for the shore and enjoy the a little vacation,

//Rick